For so Long
by JitterSG
Summary: Origins of my main character. Might continue this but it is marked as complete because it can stand alone.


**World of Warcraft fanfiction. WoW and places are (c) to Blizzard tm, non-recognisable characters are (c) to me**

Clad in her gray cloak, Cassandra stealthed downstairs. Her mother had forgotten to lock the cellar door again so she sneaked inside slowly to pick supplies for her long journey. Her mother wanted her to act more like a lady so she wasn't allowed to ride a horse yet, despite the countless times her father had let her play with their Pinto when her mother was visiting relatives. She was planning to walk until Goldshire or maybe pickpocket some money from someone to fly to Stormwind. _More like a lady..._ she sniggered alone when she remembered the disappointment on her mother's face each time she caught her wielding a wooden sword around. _"It's ok while she was a child," _she would say _"but now she's fourteen years old and she needs to shape up so she can find a good husband. No one wants a wife that uses her knife to kill rats instead of cutting bread."_

But that was her mother. Cassandra smiled as she made her way out of the cellar. She knew her mother also used to be a total tomboy when she was a child, but she was lucky enough to find a man like Artemis Art. On the contrary, all that was around in Darkshire for Cass was snotty Gideon and dandy Alan. Thanks, but no thanks.

Lost in her thoughts she stumbled upon the dining table and fell down with a loud thud. Alerted she sprung up and rushed to the door like a cat only to hear a deep long sigh behind her. She turned around and saw her father standing in the dim light that was coming from the Night Watch's torches on the outside. Only then did she notice his once jet black hair was graying and that his face was wrinkling. Her father was growing old but his violet eyes, eyes like hers, looked lively and excited.

"So you're finally going" he stated simply as if he was saying that outside it was night. Cass blinked.  
"How… How did you know?" she asked in a hush and walked towards him. Her father tried to suppress a smile.  
"How couldn't I? You've been staring at things you love in Darkshire for months now and the constant questions about the gryphon fly services and all…" her father sighed again and Cass bit her lip. This wasn't going as she had planned and all she wanted to do was to rush outside and never return to Darkshire again. Slowly, hesitantly, as if in a dream, the woman lifted her hand. Her fingers moved of their own accord to trace the line of his jaw gently, oh so gently, finger pads tingling with the contact as their eyes locked.

She then said something that was almost a whisper on the wind, barely able to say it in the silence.

"I've wanted to do that for so long..."Please don't stop me now dad" she looked at him, the man that would always hold a dear place in her heart and kissed him on his unshaved cheek.

"Where will you go?" he asked silently with a sadness so deep that made Cass' heart ache. She turned away and cupped the handle of the door, not wanting him to see her teary eyes.

"At first Northshire Abbey. I've heard they train people there to become adventurers and I think I'm agile enough to have a rogue get me as their apprentice. Then… who knows I might even go to Ironforge one day!" she added some enthusiasm in her tone, although she knew she probably would be sent away from the Abbey, back to Darkshire and never see other places apart from Stormwind and her village in Duskwood. Her father made her hold her hand open and put ten silver pieces on her palm. Cass gasped as she had never touched so much money in her life, she tried to thank her dad but he hushed her.  
"Take the gryphon to Stormwind; I don't want you to be eaten by worgs." He winked at her and turned away to go upstairs again. "I'll tell your mother I never saw you leaving. Just… just visit us some time ok?"

"Ok" she nodded and ran outside. Her journey had begun and all she knew was that she'd soon be away from that haunted little village on to her new life.


End file.
